1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a timed telephone switch apparatus which is wired to a telephone or other telecommunication device.
2. Prior Art
Over the past 20 years, telephones have become one of the most important appliances in homes around the world. The average person spends two hours per day on the telephone. The average teenager spends 5.5 hours per day on the telephone. Parents have become answering services for their children and, to be sure that calls are still coming through they have installed added features such as "call waiting", to allow friends or other family members to get through when the line is busy. In many cases, this just allows the child to keep one friend on hold while talking to another. To solve this problem, many parents have installed a private line for the children.
With a children's private line parents have the use of their phone but have very little knowledge of when the children are on the phone. Children don't watch the clock and will talk late into the night without supervision. Having been faced with this problem, I invented a secure programmable switch device that will stop all outgoing and incoming calls at a designated time. Once programmed and locked changes cannot be made without the key.
This invention pertains to the concept of controlling telecommunication equipment by use of a timer or clock but, it provides a new ability to stop both incoming and outgoing calls at programmed times, with complete security.
The idea of affecting the availability of power to electrical appliances, lighting and other appliances including television and telephones, by use of a timer has been implemented in a variety of ways. The control of a telephone or piece of telecommunication equipment in this manner has also been implemented.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,251,692 to Waldman describes an apparatus for restricting calls placed onto a telephone line wherein an off-hook condition begins operation of the apparatus and energizes a control circuit which can disable or allow a call by counting the amount of numbers entered into the call. When a predetermined count is reached, the disabling circuit is energized to prevent further calling.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,924,499 to Serby describes a programmable time control for disabling a telephone ringer at preprogrammed times, while automatically and independently allowing outgoing calls. Control of both incoming and outgoing calls may be reprogrammed by the user without any means other than the ability to change the timer. The controlled telephone may also be easily unplugged from modular jack 40 and simply moved to another wall jack that is not controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,134 to Laird describes a device for automatically controlling the cumulative time of use of a telephone. Control switches may be set to select the amount of cumulative time phone may be used in a 24 hour period. Device times each call and disconnects after conversation has reached programmed period of time (for example 30 minutes). After total cumulative time allotted for each 24 hour period the line is automatically disconnected and the telephone cannot be used until automatically reset at the beginning of the next 24 hour period (such as 12:01 AM). Japanese Pat. No. 56-89161 describes a timing device which will disable a telephone for restricting incoming calls during programmed times, for persons, without personal override code. Override is manual and non secure for outgoing service.
Japanese Pat. No. 1-248858 describes a device which may shut off both incoming and outgoing calls by turning the device off or on with a key. This device stops premium calls which use the prefixes 900, 976 or any non-local call or will restrict the length of a call.
German Pat. No. 85-166091/28 describes a device which will disable the telephone at a time designated by user by the use of a timing circuit. It allows for one off time and one on time. Thus, prior art does not include a timed switch device which will disable a telephone or a piece of telecommunications equipment at preprogrammed times designated by user, with total security. The prior art does not include a timed switch device which will not allow incoming or outgoing service during the off period, unless override is accessed by users key. As every parent and small business owner knows, such a product is very desirable in order to stop late night calls which wake up sleeping children, stop late night conversations by children, set study times for children insuring they will not be disturbed by the phone. Small businesses could secure telephones after hours to insure housekeeping and security personnel are not using phones, FAX machines or computer modems for personal use. Controlling use of computer modems is also desirable to many parents. Security of telephones in college dorm rooms is desirable to many college students that have been stuck with high phone bills for calls they didn't make.
Therefore, a need exists for a completely secure, inexpensive, practical, simple to program device which will disconnect and reconnect a telephone, or a piece of telecommunication equipment, at numerous programmed times throughout the day and week, dependent on authorized users' schedule, or which will disconnect a telephone, or piece of telecommunications equipment, for a period of several days or weeks to insure no use by unauthorized persons during weekends or vacations.